lancaster uni linguistics phd

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Linguistics (by Thesis and Coursework)

Entry requirements.

Master's degree (UK or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics or a related subject, for example Linguistics, Foreign Languages, Education, with an overall average of at least 60% for UK MAs.

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics or a related subject, for example Linguistics, Foreign Languages, Education.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Additional Requirements

As part of your application you also need to complete the 'PhD in Linguistics by Thesis and Coursework Proposal Form'. A copy of the form and guidance notes can be found on the Research Proposal section of our PhD study webpage.

Months of entry

Course content.

Take your PhD with one of the best Linguistics departments in the world. We are ranked 3rd in the world for Linguistics in the QS World Rankings 2024.

This PhD programme understands Applied Linguistics as research into language with a relevance to real-world issues and proposals are accepted in a wide range of topics. By combining your PhD studies with a set of taught modules, this programme is designed to broaden your knowledge of relevant research and research methodologies. Many of our students are professionals who are balancing PhD studies with full-time careers, and this contributes to the rich and stimulating academic environment this programme offers.

The programme is designed for you to simultaneously complete your coursework and develop your thesis. In your first year of study you will complete compulsory modules in research methodology and in applied linguistics that are taught by distance. In addition, you have the opportunity to take additional modules from the department’s MA programmes and the Faculty’s Research Training Programme with a choice of modules either on-campus or by distance.

One of the strengths of this programme is the flexibility it allows in pursuing your PhD – you have the choice to either study on campus in Lancaster, or from home. You may study full-time or part-time but have the option to switch at any point during your studies. The compulsory modules in research methodology and linguistics are taught online, while for MA modules there is a choice of both on-site and distance learning available.

Regardless whether you study in Lancaster or from home, you must attend two intensive residentials at Lancaster University in the first two years of your studies. During this time you will have the opportunity to complete a portion of the coursework, participate in a graduate student conference, and engage in a range of professional and academic development activities such as sessions on academic writing, presentation skills, and career development as well as attend workshops offered by the university library.

• Option to study full time (36 months) or part time (60 months)
• Study on campus in Lancaster or off-campus from home
• 4 compulsory study modules – 2 in research methods and 2 in applied linguistics
• Opportunity to take additional modules from the department’s MA programmes
• 2 intensive residentials at the department in Lancaster

Information for international students

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.5 in reading and writing and 6.0 in listening and speaking. We also consider other English language qualifications.

We do not offer pre-sessional English language programmes for this programme.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email [email protected]

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

• Campus-based learning is available for this qualification
• Distance learning is available for this qualification
• Online learning is available for this qualification

Course contact details

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Linguistics (by thesis and coursework) PhD Lancaster University

Course options

Qualification.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Lancaster University

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• ENTRY REQUIREMENT
• UNIVERSITY INFO

Course summary

Take your PhD with one of the best Linguistics departments in the world. We are ranked 3rd in the world for Linguistics in the QS World Rankings 2024.

This PhD programme understands Applied Linguistics as research into language with a relevance to real-world issues and proposals are accepted in a wide range of topics. By combining your PhD studies with a set of taught modules, this programme is designed to broaden your knowledge of relevant research and research methodologies. Many of our students are professionals who are balancing PhD studies with full-time careers, and this contributes to the rich and stimulating academic environment this programme offers.

The programme is designed for you to simultaneously complete your coursework and develop your thesis. In your first year of study you will complete compulsory modules in research methodology and in applied linguistics that are taught by distance. In addition, you have the opportunity to take additional modules from the department’s MA programmes and the Faculty’s Research Training Programme with a choice of modules either on-campus or by distance.

One of the strengths of this programme is the flexibility it allows in pursuing your PhD – you have the choice to either study on campus in Lancaster, or from home. You may study full-time or part-time but have the option to switch at any point during your studies. The compulsory modules in research methodology and linguistics are taught online, while for MA modules there is a choice of both on-site and distance learning available.

Regardless whether you study in Lancaster or from home, you must attend two intensive residentials at Lancaster University in the first two years of your studies. During this time you will have the opportunity to complete a portion of the coursework, participate in a graduate student conference, and engage in a range of professional and academic development activities such as sessions on academic writing, presentation skills, and career development as well as attend workshops offered by the university library.

Tuition fees

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£ 21,082 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

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Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4YW, England

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Subject ranking.

3rd out of 31 3

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The Department has been at the cutting edge since its foundation in 1974. Our main areas of study are: Discourse Studies; Language and Literacy in their Social Contexts; Linguistic Theory and Language Description; Language Teaching, Learning and Assessment; Methods of Language Research.

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Linguistics (by thesis and coursework) PhD

Lancaster university, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Subject areas

Linguistics

Course type

Take your PhD with one of the best Linguistics departments in the world. We are ranked 3rd in the world for Linguistics in the QS World Rankings 2024.

This PhD programme understands Applied Linguistics as research into language with a relevance to real-world issues and proposals are accepted in a wide range of topics. By combining your PhD studies with a set of taught modules, this programme is designed to broaden your knowledge of relevant research and research methodologies. Many of our students are professionals who are balancing PhD studies with full-time careers, and this contributes to the rich and stimulating academic environment this programme offers.

The programme is designed for you to simultaneously complete your coursework and develop your thesis. In your first year of study you will complete compulsory modules in research methodology and in applied linguistics that are taught by distance. In addition, you have the opportunity to take additional modules from the department’s MA programmes and the Faculty’s Research Training Programme with a choice of modules either on-campus or by distance.

One of the strengths of this programme is the flexibility it allows in pursuing your PhD – you have the choice to either study on campus in Lancaster, or from home. You may study full-time or part-time but have the option to switch at any point during your studies. The compulsory modules in research methodology and linguistics are taught online, while for MA modules there is a choice of both on-site and distance learning available.

Regardless whether you study in Lancaster or from home, you must attend two intensive residentials at Lancaster University in the first two years of your studies. During this time you will have the opportunity to complete a portion of the coursework, participate in a graduate student conference, and engage in a range of professional and academic development activities such as sessions on academic writing, presentation skills, and career development as well as attend workshops offered by the university library.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

Master's degree (UK or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics or a related subject, for example Linguistics, Foreign Languages, Education, with an overall average of at least 60% for UK MAs. 2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics or a releated subject, for example Linguistics, Foreign Languages, Education.

MA Linguistics

Soas university of london, phd in linguistics, mphil in linguistics, ma history of art and architecture of the islamic middle east and intensive language (turkish), ma linguistics and intensive language (turkish).

ESRC Centre for Corpus Approaches to Social Science

Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Linguistics at Lancaster University

The Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, UK is delighted to offer a fully funded PhD studentship (UK home-rate fee) as part of the UKRI-funded project, ‘Public Discourses of Dementia: Challenging Stigma and Promoting Personhood’.

The aim of this project is to challenge dementia stigma by changing the ways in which dementia is discussed in the public domain, focusing in particular on the mainstream media, public health bodies and charities in the UK. This project will explore the language and imagery that are used to represent dementia in texts produced by these organisations and compare these against those used by the general public to talk about dementia on social media and by people living with dementia when giving first-hand accounts of their lives with the syndrome. The project team will work closely with media, public health and charity organisations to implement changes to communicative practices around dementia in ways that challenge stigma and promote personhood, through the development of communication guidelines and the delivery of training to public communicators from charities, the media, research and public health. Crucially, the project team will collaborate closely with people with dementia themselves to ensure that their voices are heard and valued not only in future public discourse but also in the research process itself. The Project team will be led by Dr Gavin Brookes and supported by Professor Tony McEnery. The project will also be supported by an externally based academic advisory committee. You can read more about the project here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/new-research-fellowship-team-to-examine-language-about-dementia .

We are seeking to recruit a strong and enthusiastic PhD candidate with demonstrable knowledge and interest in at least two of the following areas: corpus linguistics; multimodal (visual) discourse analysis; health communication. The successful candidate should hold a Master’s degree in linguistics or a related area. However, clearly outstanding and particularly well-suited candidates who have completed a first degree will be considered. Candidates may be invited to interview (dates and format to be confirmed).

This studentship is open to students eligible for UK Home fees only (for more information, see: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-courses/research-fees/ ).

If you are interested in this opportunity, by way of application please email Gavin Brookes ( [email protected] ) with the following:

• A short CV (max 2 pages) outlining your qualifications, achievements and publications (if applicable)
• A personal statement describing your suitability to the project (focusing in particular on your knowledge and skills, including relating to methodological approaches) (max. 500 words)
• An example of your writing (either an assignment or chapter from a dissertation)

Start date: October 2022 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

Duration: 3 years

Application deadline: 31 st May 2022

Funding information: A stipend of £15,609 for 22/23, which will increase each year in line with the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) rate, plus Home-rate fee allowance of £4,500 (with automatic increase to UKRI rate each year). The successful candidate will also have access to a generous training and conference budget.

Gavin Brookes

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Linguistics (by thesis and coursework)

• Entry year 2024
• Duration Full time 36 Months, Part time 60 Months

Top reasons to study with us

Boost your CV with a higher level degree from a world-class department

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World top three for Linguistics (QS World University Subject Rankings 2024)

Take your PhD with one of the best Linguistics departments in the world. We are ranked 3rd in the world for Linguistics in the QS World Rankings 2024.

This PhD programme understands Applied Linguistics as research into language with a relevance to real-world issues and proposals are accepted in a wide range of topics. By combining your PhD studies with a set of taught modules, this programme is designed to broaden your knowledge of relevant research and research methodologies. Many of our students are professionals who are balancing PhD studies with full-time careers, and this contributes to the rich and stimulating academic environment this programme offers.

The programme is designed for you to simultaneously complete your coursework and develop your thesis. In your first year of study you will complete compulsory modules in research methodology and in applied linguistics that are taught by distance. In addition, you have the opportunity to take additional modules from the department’s MA programmes and the Faculty’s Research Training Programme with a choice of modules either on-campus or by distance.

One of the strengths of this programme is the flexibility it allows in pursuing your PhD – you have the choice to either study on campus in Lancaster, or from home. You may study full-time or part-time but have the option to switch at any point during your studies. The compulsory modules in research methodology and linguistics are taught online, while for MA modules there is a choice of both on-site and distance learning available.

Regardless whether you study in Lancaster or from home, you must attend two intensive residentials at Lancaster University in the first two years of your studies. During this time you will have the opportunity to complete a portion of the coursework, participate in a graduate student conference, and engage in a range of professional and academic development activities such as sessions on academic writing, presentation skills, and career development as well as attend workshops offered by the university library.

• Option to study full time (36 months) or part time (60 months)
• Study on campus in Lancaster or off-campus from home
• 4 compulsory study modules – 2 in research methods and 2 in applied linguistics
• Opportunity to take additional modules from the department’s MA programmes
• 2 intensive residentials at the department in Lancaster

Your department

• Linguistics and English Language Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Entry requirements

Academic requirements.

Master's degree (UK or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics or a related subject, for example Linguistics, Foreign Languages, Education, with an overall average of at least 60% for UK MAs.

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics or a related subject, for example Linguistics, Foreign Languages, Education.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Additional Requirements

As part of your application you also need to complete the 'PhD in Linguistics by Thesis and Coursework Proposal Form' . A copy of the form and guidance notes can be found on the Research Proposal section of our PhD study webpage.

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.5 in reading and writing and 6.0 in listening and speaking. We also consider other English language qualifications .

We do not offer pre-sessional English language programmes for this programme.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email [email protected]

Fees and funding

General fees and funding information

There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.

Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.

College fees

Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small College Membership Fee  which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.

For students starting in 2023 and 2024, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses. Fees for students starting in 2025 have not yet been set.

Computer equipment and internet access

To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated  IT support helpdesk  is available in the event of any problems.

The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.

For most taught postgraduate applications there is a non-refundable application fee of £40. We cannot consider applications until this fee has been paid, as advised on our online secure payment system. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications.

For some of our courses you will need to pay a deposit to accept your offer and secure your place. We will let you know in your offer letter if a deposit is required and you will be given a deadline date when this is due to be paid.

The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your  fee status .

If you are studying on a programme of more than one year’s duration, the tuition fees for subsequent years of your programme are likely to increase each year. Read more about  fees in subsequent years .

Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities .

We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries .

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Linguistics PhD

Want to know what it's like to study this course at uni? We've got all the key info, from entry requirements to the modules on offer. If that all sounds good, why not check out reviews from real students or even book onto an upcoming open days ?

Different course options

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Lancaster University

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Course info

Entry requirements, tuition fees, latest reviews.

Complete your PhD with world-leading experts in Linguistics and be part of a thriving department that is ranked 3rd in the world for Linguistics (QS world rankings 2024).

We welcome proposals for doctoral research across any area of linguistics that falls within our expertise. These include but are not limited to:

Cognitive Linguistics

Corpus Linguistics

Critical Discourse Analysis

First Language Acquisition

Forensic Linguistics

Historical/Diachronic Linguistics

Language Testing

Linguistic Typology

Literacy Studies

Phonetics and Phonology

Psycholinguistic

Sociolinguistics

Speech Science and Technology

Second Language Learning and Teaching

If you pursue doctoral research in linguistics at Lancaster you will join a research-intensive department with a large community of doctoral students and a number of different research groups. This provides a rich, stimulating and supportive environment in which to conduct your research with lots of opportunities to share your research with others. The department also hosts an annual postgraduate conference in Linguistics and Language Teaching.

You will work independently under the guidance of one or more supervisors or as part of a team. You may also benefit from additional research methods and academic skills training provided by the faculty Research Training Programme (offered on-site and by distance learning).

You will be fully supported throughout your studies as you move through key milestones in the PhD process.

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Students need to have master's degree (UK or equivalent) in a subject relevant to the proposed research, with an average of at least 60% for UK MAs. 2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics or a related subject, for example Linguistics, Foreign Languages, Education.

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£21,082 per year

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Linguistics PhD Lancaster University

• On campus - h Main Site
• Oct 1, 2024 Full-time - 36 Months
• Oct 1, 2024 Part-time - 48 Months

Key Course Facts

• Admission advice for international students

Course Description

We welcome proposals for doctoral research across any area of linguistics that falls within our expertise. These include but are not limited to:

• Cognitive Linguistics
• Corpus Linguistics
• Critical Discourse Analysis
• First Language Acquisition
• Forensic Linguistics
• Historical/Diachronic Linguistics
• Language Testing
• Linguistic Typology
• Literacy Studies
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistic
• Sociolinguistics
• Speech Science and Technology
• Second Language Learning and Teaching

If you pursue doctoral research in linguistics at Lancaster you will join a research-intensive department with a large community of doctoral students and a number of different research groups. This provides a rich, stimulating and supportive environment in which to conduct your research with lots of opportunities to share your research with others. The department also hosts an annual postgraduate conference in Linguistics and Language Teaching.

You will work independently under the guidance of one or more supervisors or as part of a team. You may also benefit from additional research methods and academic skills training provided by the faculty Research Training Programme (offered on-site and by distance learning).

You will be fully supported throughout your studies as you move through key milestones in the PhD process.

Option to study full time (36 months) or part time (48 months)

Study on campus in Lancaster or by distance

Opportunity to undertake additional research methods and academic skills training provided by the faculty Research Training Programme

Submit in traditional or alternative (by research article) format

Assessment Methods

Entry requirements / admissions, requirements for international students / english requirements.

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

• Graduate Degrees
• Undergraduate Degrees

Master's degree (UK or equivalent) in a subject relevant to the proposed research, with an average of at least 60% for UK MAs.

2: 1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in Applied Linguistics or a related subject, for example Linguistics, Foreign Languages, Education.

As part of your application you will also need to provide a viable research proposal. Guidance for writing a research proposal can be found on the department's PhD study page.

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.5 in reading and writing and 6.0 in listening and speaking. We also consider other English language qualifications.

Average student cost of living in the UK

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

University Rankings

Positions of lancaster university in top uk and global rankings., about lancaster university.

Lancaster University was established in 1964 and is located in the rural setting of Lancaster. The campus provides a series of amenities, including banks and a post office. Academically, all of this university’s courses and programmes are accredited and approved by MARP, ensuring that the curriculums delivered here are set at a high standard. In terms of facilities, students have access to a variety of study and recreational spaces intended to improve their wellbeing, such as Meditation and Tai Chi classes, and Woodland walks.

List of 452 Bachelor and Master Courses from Lancaster University - Course Catalogue

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A fully-funded PhD in Linguistics at Lancaster University

Case phd studentship.

ESRC CASE Doctoral Award at Lancaster University: ‘ Linguistic adaptability across genres and modalities: A corpus-based investigation of a key component of L2 proficiency’ .

Applications are invited to undertake a fully-funded, full-time three-year PhD studentship to be held at Lancaster University, beginning in October 2021. The PhD studentship is funded by the ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) and will be undertaken in collaboration between Lancaster University (the Department of Linguistics and English Language) and the British Council.

The successful applicant will work on a PhD project that addresses an issue of critical importance in language learning and testing – the construct of linguistic proficiency in a second language (L2). In particular, it focuses on a crucial component of proficiency, linguistic adaptability, that is, the ability to adapt the use of language according to different communicative contexts and needs represented in different tasks. The study combines corpus methods with advances in language testing and assessment (LTA) research to address the topic and to contribute to second language acquisition (SLA) and LTA theory. The study also seeks to apply the findings directly in LTA practice by closely collaborating with the British Council (BC), a major international organisation specialising in the delivery of English teaching and testing.

The project will use corpus methods to investigate linguistic adaptability in production of L2 learners of English. In particular, the project will further develop and use a unique corpus that represents production from the same set of learners across different modes of communication (speech/writing) and across a series of tasks representing different genres. This corpus is based on the APTIS test , developed and administered by the BC and taken annually by over 300,000 users in over 100 countries. The study uses the existing Spoken APTIS corpus, completed in 2020 through a collaboration between Lancaster University and the BC, containing 663,111 words of spoken performance data from 865 speakers. The Written APTIS corpus will be built as part of the PhD project using the written component of the APTIS test from the same set of learners that contributed the spoken samples, with the estimated size of 1.5M words when complete. The corpus represents L2 speakers from three levels of English proficiency (intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced) and three linguistic/cultural backgrounds (Arabic, Chinese and Spanish), allowing the investigation of the development of linguistic adaptability across speakers of increasing proficiency levels and typologically different languages.

A thorough training and guidance in the use of corpus methods will be provided as part of the doctoral training; any other required training (e.g. in specific research methods) will also be provided as part of the PhD. In addition to the contribution to the language acquisition and language testing theory, the study seeks to improve assessment of spoken English by closely collaborating with the  British Council’s Assessment Research Group  and by making the findings directly relevant to language test developers.

The project seeks to address the following research questions:

• RQ1: What is the effect of modality (speech vs. writing) and task (genre) on L2 performance?
• RQ2: Do more proficient L2 users show more adaptability to modality/task than less proficient L2 users?
• RQ3: Is there a relationship between adaptability and other features of L2 performance (e.g. accuracy and complexity)?   

The PhD studentship award represents an excellent opportunity to combine training as a researcher in a leading academic Linguistics department as well as gain skills through working in a non-academic environment, with our industrial partner, the British Council.  The PhD project will involve close cooperation with the members of the Assessment Research Group at the British Council. 

The PHD studentship award: The studentship covers full-time academic fees (standard UKRI Home rate) and provides a yearly stipend (£15,285 in 2021/22). It also includes access to a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) for reimbursement of research related expenses including – but not limited to – conference attendance, training courses and UK fieldwork.

Supervision:  The studentship will be supervised by a team consisting of Dr Dana Gablasova, Dr Vaclav Brezina and Prof Luke Harding from Lancaster University and Dr Jamie Dunlea from the British Council.

The Candidate:  We are seeking to appoint a PhD student who

• Has experience or interest in studying spoken and written production of L2 English learners  and  in applying the findings to language testing; has experience or interest in corpus-based methods
• Has a first class or upper second class or equivalent undergraduate degree 
• Has completed or is in the process of completing a postgraduate (Master’s) degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. linguistics, applied linguistics, TESOL, corpus linguistics, language testing or other related field.)
• Satisfies the academic, language and residential eligibility requirement (see  http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/phd-studentship/eligibility-criteria/ )

Deadline: Closing date for applications: Tuesday, 6th April 2021, 5pm (UK time).